11 Things You Should Never Keep in Your Glove Compartment

While drivers need to keep important documents in their vehicles, keeping them in your glove compartment can also make you a target.

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Your glove compartment is off-limits for these 11 things

As a responsible driver, you might think your glove compartment is the perfect place to keep essential items. In a survey conducted by the Alberta Motoring Association (AMA), 77 per cent of its members said they keep documents like their registration and insurance card in their glove compartment. Unfortunately, though, the glove compartment is often the first place thieves look after they break one of your car windows or jimmy a lock. “We have reports from our law enforcement partners that car thieves have stolen the car, driven it to the residence, and burglarized the home before the owner even knew the vehicle was missing,” Joe Wehrle, president and CEO of the United States-based National Insurance Crime Bureau, told personal finance site Clark.com. So to protect yourself, here’s what you should take out of your glove compartment, pronto.

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Personal papers

Your glove compartment might seem like a convenient place to store important documents, but you should never leave anything with personal information like your home address there. “It’s just too easy for thieves to take your ID and use it to make phony credit cards, loan applications—you name it,” Frank Scafidi, a spokesman for the National Insurance Crime Bureau, told carinsurancequotes.com.

Vehicle registration

No one wants to get pulled over for speeding, but should that happen, you want to make sure you have your registration on you. That said, thieves can use the information to create fake registrations. Instead, keep a photocopy in your wallet or a picture of your registration on your phone.

Vehicle title

Likewise, don’t store your car’s title in your glove compartment. You wouldn’t need it in case of a collision or getting pulled over. And thieves could take yours and use it to create fake titles, Scafidi says.

Valuables

It’s a good idea to store valuables like electronics out of sight if you don’t plan to take them with you. But that doesn’t make them safe in your glove compartment. And keep in mind that car insurance doesn’t cover personal items that might be stolen from your car, according to the AMA.

Chequebook and wallet

Stowing your credit cards and cheques in the glove compartment is also a bad idea. Thieves can have access to your account numbers and can make purchases with your cards. Carry your chequebook and wallet with you in a backpack or purse instead.

Garage door opener

If your car is out and about, thieves know that you’re not home. They may be able to find out where you live if you’ve left documents that include your address in your car. And access to your garage door opener is basically rolling out the welcome mat to thieves.

Invoices

You might be holding on to the itemization of your car’s last service because of the list of suggested future repairs. Not a bad idea, but don’t stow it in your glove compartment. Invoices often also include your home address.

Batteries

Keeping a supply of batteries on hand seems like a good idea to keep your flashlight working in case of emergency. But temperature fluctuations can greatly affect the quality of batteries. Heat speeds up the chemical deterioration of batteries, according to Kiplinger’s. Don’t store them in your glove compartment during the warmer months and change them out regularly to make sure they’re still good.